NIGERIA CONSIDERS DISCONTINUING ABAJI-KOTON-KARFE ROAD PROJECT

Nigerian Government to terminate contract for Abaji-Koton-Karfe road project.

The Nigerian Ministry of Power, Works and housing is threatening to terminate its contract with Bulletine Construction Company Ltd for the dualisation of the Abaji-Koton-Karfe road.

According to the Nigerian government the basis for discontinuing the project is due to five months negligence by the contractor. The 49.4 km Abaji-Koton-Karfe road project ( section III of the Abuja-Lokoja Road dualisation) costs about N15.1 billion. It was initially expected to be complete by April 11, 2009; but the date was later extended to March 12, 2014.

However, since December 2017, the site have been inactive. There have been no deploying of labourers on the site. This is the major reason why the government is considering the termination of the project.

The Director of Highways Constructions and Rehabilitation department, Engr. Dayyabu Mamman, said the contractor have spent 12 years on the project with only 54.48% completion. Still the contractor have applied for extension. He also added that the contractor have received about N414.2 million for services which it have not rendered.

Engr. Mamman also gave other flaws and reasons why he recommends for the termination of the contract. Some of which include rutting on the carriage way,  high rate of accidents on the road due to untidiness of the site and delay of the project.

Mamman added that warning letters and series of meetings with the contractor to encourage increase performance yielded no positive result.

The reason for the negligence and other projects

On the other hand, the Contractor’s site agent Mr. Peter Omenye said the abandonment of the contract was due to labour related issues concerning workers salaries and entitlement. The workers will agree to work only after receiving all their entitlements.

Reacting to this, the minister stressed that there was every reason to terminate the contract because negligence of the project was due to domestic issues. And not because of any issue with the Government.

Section IV of the Abuja-Lokoja road project (Koton-Karfe-Lokoja) which Gitto Construction Company is handling is at 61% completion. Also Section I ( Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road) including spur to Airport junction which Dantata and Sawoe construction Ltd is handling is at 90% completion.

Some of the major works completed include; construction of a new 11.4 km road along Airport road Spur, rehabilitation of existing 10.04 km road, and construction of interchange at Giri and Gwagwalada among others.